JUST TRUCKIN’ AROUND - Peter Orchard

Thursday, April 6, 2017

There was no one in the Series 60 powered Pro Transport Ltd 1993 Ford Louisville L9000 when Faye Lougher first spotted it parked on SH1 in Levin. As luck would have it, owner Peter Orchard was getting in the truck when she came past a short time later and she collared him for a chat.

Peter said his Ashburton-based company specialised in transporting vintage machinery and equipment such as tractors, trucks, loaders and graders.

“All our drivers have vintage vehicles of their own and that’s why we specialise in that. We move special stuff for specialpeople.”

Peter told Faye if she could wait half an hour, he’d have something special on the back for his return trip to Invercargill. He was collecting a 1942 GMC 6x4 that Tony Comber from Levin had sold to a new owner, as he didn’t have the time to restore it.

Peter was a fitter and turner by trade but after being made redundant about 10 years ago started his own trucking business. He says he loves the variety of work he undertakes.

“I’m really only a part-time driver as we have an engineering shop as well and we build all our own trailers.” Peter’s gripe with the industry was about undercutting. Enough said.

As for the vexing question, number 50 was what super power he would choose and Peter went for the ability to predict the future.